Benefits of Playing Hockey

hockey_pdBenefits Of Playing hockey

Field hockey is an extremely popular sport that is played by people all over the world. The aim of playing hockey is very simple and involves the use of sticks in order to dribble, shoot, and passÂ’ the ball through the entire length of the pitch. The main aim of each player is to score goals. The rules of hockey are quite similar to the rules of ofÂ’ soccer except for the use of stick instead of the players’ feet. The many health and fitness benefits of this game include:

1.Helps to reduce body weight.
Hockey helps to reduce excessive body fat. The fast pace of the game requires short bursts of body energy that helps in burning huge number of calories. Each player burns an approximate number of 0.061 calories per pound, per minute. This amounts to a huge loss of body weight in the long run.

2.Develops the cardiovascular system of the body.
The constant requirement of energy and muscular strength that is required in playing hockey help in the development of cardiovascular system of the body. The system that constitutes of lungs and heart, supplies the muscles with oxygen. Pumping of sufficient quantities of oxygen helps to improve the breathing and cellular activity.

3.Improves the muscle strength of the body.
Hockey helps to improve the strength of upper and lower body muscles. PlayingÂ’ hockey is an excellent way of developing the leg muscles, such as the hamstring, calves and hip muscles. It also aids in developing the endurance of triceps, forearms and shoulder muscles.

4.Develops coordination skills.
Playing hockey involves the coordination between the hands and the eyes. It also improves the spontaneous responses and reactions of the players during the game. Practicing this game aids in developing coordination abilities, improves hand-eye reflexes and reactive lively feet.

5.Develops the spirit of team work.
Playing with a team of eleven people develops the spirit of team work towards successful achievement of goals and victory.

6.Improves communication.
Playing hockey involves the communication of messages through eyes and gestures. This leads to the overall improvement in the communication skills of the players.

Playing hockey not only develops the basic social skills such as communication, team work, and individual persistence, but is also an enjoyable physical activity. It helps to build up speed; eye- hand coordination, endurance, and cardiovascular performance. Playing this team sport is an excellent way of improving the body health and fitness.

Leave a Comment